LITTLE VICTORIES

My one reader knows that I only post when I have something which deserves a post, and that I don't like to post only the beginning of a project. So it has been, on occasion, that I don't post for a while. That's also why I only have one part-time reader.

But occasionally I have a lot of small things to get done in a short amount of time; such is this post.

And though the big projects feel great to complete (or, as in the case of The Standish Farm, that PHASE of a project was completed), it's very nice to do a whirlwind of small wrap-ups and to make things ready for the next stage.

It has not stopped raining in southern Connecticut since last August. It's late April now. Sure, we had freezing rain and snow in the winter months, but there was rain every third day if there wasn't snow. Mold grew on everything last year, including my gas cans, and the past month gave us the only consecutive six-day period without rain since last August. We had two of these, and if you've been reading, you saw I took advantage to finish the 1860 barn structure and roof.

I knew it wouldn't last. It IS April, after all. So with a week of rain predicted with virtually no break, I figured I'd better get a lot of small victories under my belt before the entire farm sinks into the wet ground.

First job; get the ridge of the new roof dried in. The rear of the barn roof still has its eight layers of asphalt shingles as well as the cedar shakes and ancient roofers. These will be removed in time, but they aren't leaking now so they stay. The small gap between this and the new roof was still open, so I screwed in a few toeboards and ran a narrow layer of ice-shield (roofing underlayment) over the ridge. Screwed some thin wood down to keep it there. That will make it dried in enough for a month so I can frame in the walls, set windows, and wait for the steel roof, which will arrive in two weeks. At that time I'll need to come up with another ridge dry-in method, prolly one of metal.

A closer view. Rain started spattering as I finished.

The small amount of heart pine board-and-batten I installed to impress the appraiser never did get waterproofing, so I sanded the surface and brushed on a 1:1 mixture of oil-based clear finish and paint thinner. I used this on the garage doors and it penetrates and causes water to bead up without any glossy finish. Perty, too.

The gutter above is even more protective.

I visited my soon-to-emerge plants and trees. This is what the climbing nightshade looks like in winter. I call it Cousin It. Don't touch it, you'll get sick. Deadly poison.

The Redbud that finally grew some last year. Hope it continues. I need the shade in the shop. Maybe by 2045.

I spent a number of years getting rid of the Chinese wineberry plants, which grow like triffids around here. Great berries, taste like red raspberries, but a nuisance weed. This one I'll leave where it sprouted. I think I'll ties the canes to the fence.

Cool day, Dad's in the yard and visible. Time to play!

Speckle may be young, but Marley can hold her ground.

Snarly McSnarlface. It's all good fun.

Lookit my butt! Lookit my butt!

Time to race around the yard after wrestling and snarfling.

Dogs lead a busy life. Sleep for most of the day, eat, shit and play for the remainder.

My tiny redbud, which also grew more last year than any other. It's fertilizing time.

Volunteer nightshade. I'm leaving it.

Hard-to-see volunteer rock pear. This one grows where the yellowjacket nest was. It's going to be encouraged, and is in full bud. Hard to see, I know.

The next phase of the 1860 barn is framing the side walls, placing windows, and sheathing with plywood. I gathered every piece of plywood I had on the property and brought it to the barn. Some larger, some smaller, some 3/4", some 1/2". It'll all come in handy.

Even have three Zip-sheets.

A lot of 3/4" ply behind the tarps. It's to be used for the rest of the barn flooring, a late spring project.

Some narrow sheets. All will be reused. It's what I do.

The shop sheathing with applied finish.

Makes me want to finish the side. But I need dry conditions for that. Soon. I hope.

The big split in the apple tree had been there for years, but when I cut the top branches last week, I saw that there was some deterioration on the top level of the split and water was gathering inside. I said I'd be supporting the huge branch, but I really needed to keep the water out of this split. So I put on a big band-aid made from ice shield and small nailers screwed into the trunk.

Put one on the hole to the left as well. I'll be posting more on the protections I devise for this tree as soon as the rain slows a bit.

Not pretty, but keeps the water out.

I'd already dug some square holes, inserted threaded rods, and filled them with concrete. These would support the frame that would in turn, support the branch with the split.

Piers with accompanying 4x4 ends that screw to the threaded rods.

Cleaned out another section of the Now Dried In barn and stacked the plywood there.

Should be enough.

Miscellaneous cripples and posts along with jigs in a pile.

Gathered all the newer 2x4s and stacked them in the loft. Will start framing this weekend or early next week, if the wind isn't blowing in.

After having two wonderful burn days (no wind, wet ground, and wood dry enough to start the burn), I was left with this one pile. Near it I piled a lot of old furniture and other wood I can't use. Never make the fire too big; keep it small and constantly add to it. Note the hose and cleared area around the fire pile. I don't take chances with fire.

Now all I need is a windless morning (haven't had one in two weeks) and a day without rain.

July, maybe. Sheesh.

Despite the small victories, there are always setbacks. Needing to fill my constantly-leaking pneumatic wheelbarrow and hand truck tires, I found that alien invaders compromised my air compressor, the red one on the right. Good timing; rain approaching and six bags of concrete in the back of the van. Couldn't drive them down to the apple tree, too soft from (guess) rain.

I'd left the compressor in the loft since Aril 7th when I completed the roof decking, and when I turned it on...nothing. Tested the wires and switch, traced it to the motor. Took an hour just to figure out how to expose the motor (in the black plastic housing on top of the red tank). The space around the motor was filled with polypropylene or whatever the mice took from old cushions to make their very cozy nest. And having nothing better to, being mice, they ate, shit, probably fucked a lot, and chewed through all the small wire so difficult to reach without total disassembly. Once I had it all apart, I removed their bedding, patched all the wires, and still had one end I assumed went into a socket I found. Put it all back together.

Still didn't work. The wire went somewhere else.

Damn.

So I spent thirty bucks on a battery-powered air compressor for filling my damn tires (the chartreuse thing). Should have got one of these along time ago; much easier than hauling around the compressor, hoses, extension cords, and finding the damned air chuck that's always missing. And I have five batteries for this brand.

But what would I use for my nail guns?

Solution.

I'd had that compressor for twenty-three years and I'm sure I can get it to work when I'm not so rain-threatened. It'll be nice to have one in the shop and another in the barn.

Ninety nine bucks. Happy my credit is good.

I've a promise of a job, but if they keep the promise, it wont start until May 1st. We'll see.